Electric switch or circuit-controller



(No Model.)

M. J. WIGHTM'AN;

ELECTRIC SWITGH ORGIRGUIT CONTROLLER.

' Patented Nov 24, 1885.

.WeJseJ:

lhognpher. Wasnmiglnm lhvi'rn STATES ATENT rrront MERLE J. WVIGHTMAN, OFHARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH OR CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 330,949, dated November24, 1885. Application filed July 8,1885. Serial No. 1T0,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERLE J. WIGHTMAN, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches or Circuit-Controllers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to devices for completin g, changing, reversing, orotherwise affecting or controlling electric circuits, and, more specifically speaking, to the operating mechanism for such device.

My invention is especially designed for use where it is desirable toemploy a turning thumb -piece or spindle, to be operated by hand, as themeans of actuating the switch,and its principal object is to soconstruct the de vice that the direction in which the spindle orthumb-piece is turned at any time shall be immaterial, the arrangementbeing such that after any movement of the switching devices the turningof the operating thumb-piece in either direction will, by positiveaction, re-- verse the movement of such devices.

My invention is of special use in connection with incandescent electriclamps, since the turning of the button in either direction will lightthe lamp, and after lighting a turning in either direction willextinguish the same.

My invention consists, broadly, in the combination,with a levercarrying, actuating, or controlling the switching or circuit controllingdevices, of a rotary operating-cam mounted in an intermediate positionbetween two cams, lugs, or arms carried by said lever, and arranged atopposite sides of the fulcrum of the lever.

My invention consists, also,in the other combinations and devices whichwill be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and willthen be more specifically stated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plans of a switch orcircuit-controller embodying my invention, the lever beingshown,respectively,in the two figures in its two opposite positions.Fig. 3 is a cross section of the apparatus on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

A indicates a base-block, case, or support upon which the parts aremounted, and B the circuit-controlling or switching lever,which isherein described as operating solely to make and break an electriccircuit, but might be used to reverse or otherwise change or shiftacircuit or circuits.

0 is an operatingcam, which may have one or more operating portions, andis secured to a spindle, D, having a thumb-piece, E, for permitting itto be turned by hand. .This cam is mounted in a position intermediate oftwo lugs, arms, or projections, d (1 ext-ending from the lever B atopposite sides of its fulcrum. Thelever is adapted to retain either ofits extreme positions until moved into the other by the application ofpositive force through the cam. It may be held in this way by frictionat its pivot or other parts, or by a positively-acting device such as aspring, M, bearing against the end of an arm,N, of said lever-andfurnished with a cam or lug, t, which, by engaging with the arm,holdsthe lever against movement until the spring is forced back by the actionof the arm on the inclined surface of said cam or lug. This ar rangementalso gives to the lever a quick or sudden movement in the act of makingor breaking the circuit, which is a desirable feature in this class ofdevices. To assist still further in the latter action, as well as toprevent undue wear, the arm N may be provided with the friction-rollerp, for the spring to bear upon. The endf of the lever B which is ofconducting material, makes and breaks the circuit by passing into andout ofthe space between the two contactsprings H H, the

turned in either direction,it will engage with projection d, theprojection d being out of its path, thus turning the lever so as toclose the circuit, the spring M, assisting at the same time in thisaction the moment that the roll 19 passes the point of the cam it, so asto give a sudden quick movement. The parts are now in the position shownin Fig. 2, and the lever IOO is held by the spring M, the lug (2 beingin the path of the cam, having been brought to this position by themovement of the lever to the position shown. If, now, the cam C be againturned in either direction, it will engage with the lug (P, the otherbeing out of range, and will move the lever until the spring M comesinto action by the passing of the point of cam t, and throws the leversuddenly back to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus breaking thecircuit.

My invention is obviously applicable to all kinds of circuit closing andmaking devices, or to other kinds of circuit-controllers, the partfandthe springsH H constituting a simple form to which I have shown theinvention applied only forthe purpose of illustrating the generalprinciple.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination,in an electric switchor circuit-controller, of a rotary operating-cam, and a switching orcircuit-controlling lever, having two operating projections upon whichsaid cam acts, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the switching-lever having the two projections,of a cam acting upon the same, and the retaining-spring bearing on thelever, whereby the lever may be held positively in either of its twopositions.

3. The comb nation, with the two contactsprings, of the connecting-leverhaving a double lug or projection, and an intermediate operating-camacting on the latter and carried 5 by a rotary spindle having athumb-piece.

4. The combination, with the switching-lever, of the friction-wheelmounted on a projecting arm of the lever, and a spring bearing againstthe friction-wheel, and provided with 0 a projection whereby the levermay be held positively in either position.

5. The combination,in an electric switch or circuit-controller, of alever carrying or operating upon the contact devices, and adapted 5 toretain either of its two extreme positions until moved positively intothe other position, and a rotary operating-cam located between andacting upon two arms, lugs, orprojections carried by said lever.

6. The combination, in an electric switch, of a switching-lever, and adouble cam-spring, bearing against an arm or projection of said lever,whereby the latter may have a quick or sudden action in breaking orcompleting the electric circuit.

Signed at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,this 24th day of March, A. D. 1885.

MERLE J. WIGHTM AN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. DUsTIN, J. A. MITCHELL.

